Radiator construction



Jul 16, 1929. F; S'PERY '1.721,2s4

RADIATOR CONSTRUCTION Filed June 21, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l y 16, 1929- c. F. sFERY RADIATOR CONSTRUCTION Filed June 21, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l H- l l "Nun- 02672-525, MLM/Q/%' Patented July 16, 1929.

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CHARLES E. srE-nY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, *ASSIGNOB To MCCORD RADIATOR & lure. co, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A oonronATIoN or MAINE.

RADIATOR cons'rnuo'rion.

Application filed June 21, 1926. Serial No. 117,251.

My invention relates toradiator construction and particularly to radiators of the type commonlyemployed in automobiles or the like. i

The invention has among its other objects the prmluction of devices of the kind described which are compact, convenient, durable, eflicicnt and satisfactory for use wher-- ever found applicable.

A particular object of the invention is to provide an improved radiator comprising stampings which may bequickly and easily assembled so that the radiator may be made in commercial quantities at a relatively low cost.

Many other objects and advantages 'of the construction herein shown and described will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein given.

To this end my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims. v

In the drawings,- wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation, partly in section, of an automobile radiator embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of a plurality of plates from which certain parts'of the improved radiator are formed; K

Fi 5 is an elevation of a cooling fin form- 0 ing part of the improved radiator;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view of the cooling fin shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged elevation of the cooling fin shown in Fig. 5, the view being taken looking from the other side thereof;

Fig. 8 is a section illustrating the manner in which the cooling fins are assembled with the water tubes of the radiator;

Fig. 9 is a section taken on line 9 9 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary'plan corresponding to Fig. 3, but taken through a radiator embodying another form of the invention; and a I fins 25 in detail, it will be noted that'before inclusive, wherein I have shown an automobile radiator embodying a preferred form of the invention, the reference character 15 designates the radiator in general which may be of any suitable form and construction. In

this instance, the radiator 15 comprises up- 5 per and lower tanks 17 and 18, respectively, which communicate with each other through a. plurality of \vatertubes 19; As shown, the ends of the water tubes 19 extend through header plates 20 and arepreferably soldered thereto, the plates 20 being secured to the tanks 17 and 18 in any suitable manner as for instance by soldering. In the embodiment of the invention. illustrated in Figs. 1

to 9, inclusive, the tubes 19eXtend intothe tanks 17 and 18, suitable apertures being provided in the tanks for this purpose. Each of the tubes 19 is preferably formed y from a sheet or strip of relatively thin metal which is. so folded that the tube'is 0f elongated cross section. Thus, as shown in Figs. 3'and 8, each tube 19 is provided with relatively flat sides 21 and arcuateends 22. The edges of the sheet or strip fromwvhich the tube is formed are preferably folded to provide a single lock-seamv 23 which projects from the tube,the seam being soldered in any preferred manner. Y

'Any desired number of rows of tubes 19 may be disposed intermediate the tanks 17 and 18. Thus, the radiator 15 comprises front and rear rows of tubes 19, the rear tubes 19 being aligned'with the front tubes 19. It will behoted that theseams 23 point outwardly so that they are readily accessiblein the event that it'becomes necessary to repair them,

Soldered to each tube 19' are a plurality of cooling finsj....25 which are preferably formed fro-m relatively'thin sheet metal, the

fins being preferablystamped or otherwise formed from a she'et'or strip 27 of suitable. metal (Fig. 1). i

- Referring now to Figs. 5 to 7, inclusive, wherein I have shown one of the cooling the c'oolingfin is assembled with a water tube 19 it consists of a relativelystraight' member having two flanged portions 28 joined by an integral strip 29. The flanges upon the portions 28 are designated by the reference character ,30 and are preferably folded or corrugated, as indicated at 32 for a purpose which will presently appear. The flanged portions 28 are formed with depressions 34 adapted to accommodate a tube 19 when the cooling fin is folded around the tube in the manner illustrated in Fig. 8. Thus, in assembling a. fin on a tube 19 the fin is brought into the position shown in Fig. 8 in which position the strip 29 engages the outer edge of the seam 23;. The fin may then be folded around the tube in the manner indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 8 after which the fin is preferably soldered to the tube. v The fin 25 being provided with two relatively flat surfaces 37 adapted to contact with each other when the fin is folded around the tube. When the fin 25 is in the form in which it is shown in Fig. 6, the surfaces 37 he in a plane spaced from the plane in which the strip 29 is disposed to insure that the surfaces 37 will contact with each other after the fin has been folded around a tube.

In this embodiment of the invention the corrugations 32 do not extend to the tube contacting surfaces of the fin 25 but are preferably spaced therefrom by ridges or beads 40 which form part of the surfaces of the depressions 34;. This construction adds rigidity to the fins 25 and also insures that the tubes 19 will contact relatively large portions of the fins, thus insuring an eflicient exchange of heat between the tubes and fins. One of the advantages of corrugating the fins 25 is that it facilitates the task of stamping the fins from the strips 27 as the surplus metal which must of necessity be stamped from the strips is distributed in such manner that it comes into contact with the air passing through the radiator and insures that there will be an efficient exchange of heat between the fins and the air. It will be noted that the fins 25 are so formed that they cause the air to form eddies as it passes through the radiator...

Referring to Figs. 7 and 9 it will be seen that each portion 28 of each fin 25 is provided with a pair of spaced corrugated flanges 30, and that intermediate each pair of flanges 30, a rib 4:2 is struck up in that portion 28. These ribs 42 come in contact with the air passing through the radiator and of course aid in the "transfer of heat from the water tubes to the air.

As best shown in Figs. 1 and'2, the tubes 19 are so spaced that the fins 25 soldered to any one of the tubes do not contact with the fins 25 soldered to the adjacent tubes. This construction permits each tube 19 and its fins 25 to be assembled as a unit with the header I plates 20 or with the tanks 17 and 18 and permits a thorough inspection of each tube and its. fins before it is assembled with the remainder of the radiator.

. In Figs. 1.0 and'll I have illustrated another form of the invention embodied in a cooling fin 15 which may be used in place of a plurality of cooling fins 25. Thus, in Fig. 10, l have shown front and rear tubes 46 and 17, respectively, which are substantially identical with the aforementioned tubes 19 upon which the cooling fin is mounted. The cooling fin 15 resembles the aforementioned cooling fins 25 in its general form and is provided with four flanged portions 49 which correspond to the flanged portions 28 of the fins 25, the central flanged portions 49 being joined to each other by a flexible strip 50 which corresponds to the flexible strip 29 of the fin 25. Each of the flanged portions 49 has a depression 52 formed therein adapt ed to accommodate one-half of one of the water tubes, each of the depressions 52 being provided with a relatively shallow extension for accommodating portion of the seam formed upon the associated water tube. This construction permits the cooling fin 4:5 to be wrapped around the water tubes 416 and 4-7 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 10, afterwhich it is secured thereto by soldering, or the equivalent. Obviously, each pair of aligned front and rear tubes 46 and 47 together with the fins 15 secured thereto may be assembled as a unit with the other parts of the radiator.

In the preferred embodiments of the invention, the cooling fins provided upon a water tube or a pair of water tubes are preferably spaced from each other. lVhen one of the cooling fins 25 is properly assembled with one of the tubes 19, the cooling fin entirely surrounds the tube and has an aperture extending therethrough accommodating the tube, the aperture being provided with an extension adapted to accommodate the seam of the tube. This construction is duplicated in the cooling fins 15.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence I do not wish-to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described or uses mentionedQ I claim:

1. A motor vehicle radiator unit, co1npris ing a water circulating tube, and a multiplicity of independently formed heat radiating members secured on the tube in spaced relation along the length of the same and disconnected one from the other, each of said members being formed of relatively thin sheet metal and having a flat strip-like body bent about the tube with the ends of the strip secured together at one side of the tube, and

laterally extending heat radiating flanges along the upper and lower edges of the strip, on opposite sides of the tube and projecting outwardly therefrom, said strip having its body portion between the flanges in flatwise contact with the tube.

'2. A motor vehicle radiator unit, comprising a water circulating tube, and a multiplicity of independently formed heat radiating members secured on the tube in spaced relation along the length of the same and disconnected one from the other, each of said members being formed of relatively thin sheet metal and having a flat strip-like body bent about the tube with the ends of the strip secured together at one side of the tube, and laterally extending heat radiating flanges along the upper and lower edges of the strip on opposite sides of the tube and projecting outwardly therefrom, said flanges being corrugated transversely, said strip having its body portion between the flanges in flatwise contact with the tube.

3. A motor vehicle radiator unit, comprising a water circulating tube, and a multiplicity of independently formed heat radiating members secured on the tube in spaced relation along the length of the same, and disconnected one from the other, each of said members being formed of relatively thin sheet metal and having a flat striplike body bent about the tube with the ends of the body portion secured together at one side of the tube, laterally extending heat radiating flanges along the upper and lower edges of the strip and projecting outwardly therefrom, said strip having its body portion between the flanges in flatwise contact with the tube, and ribs struck out from the flat body portion of the strip between the flanges on opposite sides of the tube.

4. A motor vehicle radiator unit, comprising a water circulating tube, and a multiplicity of independently formed heat radiating members secured on said tube in spaced relation along the length of the same and disconnected one from the other, each of said members being formed 'of relatively thin sheet metal and having a flat striplike body bent about the tube with the ends of the strip secured together at one side of the tube, and laterally extending heat radiating flanges along the upper and lower edges of the strip on opposite sides of the tube and projecting outwardly therefrom, said strip having its body portion between the flanges in flatwise contact with the tube, said flanges having corrugations extending transversely thereof and terminating at their inner edges short of the flat body portion of the strip.

5. A motor vehicle radiator unit, comprising a water circulating tube with substantially flat sides and convex ends, a multiplicity of independently formed heat radiating members secured on said tube in spaced relation along the length of the same and disconnected one from the other, each said members being formed of relatively thin sheet metaland having a flat strip-like against the flat'sides and over the convex ends of the tube, and laterally extending heat radiating flanges along'the upper and loweredges of the strip on oppositesides of the tube and projecting outwardly therea from, said strip having its body portion between the flanges in flatwise contact with' thetube, said flanges extending beyond th convex ends of the tube.

6. A motor-vehicle radiator unit, compristhe length of the same and disconnected one from the other, each of said members being formed of relatively thin sheet metal 37o body bent about the tube and recessed to flt and having a flat strip-like body bent about i the tube with the fol-d in the strip about the seam of the tube and the ends of the strip secured together at the opposite end of the tube, said strip being recessed t0 fit against the flat sides and over the convex ends of the tube, and laterally extending heat radiating flanges along the upper and lower edges of the strip on opposite sides of the tube and projecting outwardly therefrom,

said strip having its body portion between the flanges in flat-wise contact with the tube.

7. A heat radiating member of the character described, made of relatively thin sheet metal and comprising a body in flat strip form adapted to be folded between its ends to provide oppositely disposed substantially parallel side portions and heat radiating flanges along the upper and lower edges of each of said side portions and projecting laterally outward therefrom with the outer edges of the flanges disconnected.

8. 'A heat radiating member ofthe character described made of relatively thin sheet metal and having a body in flat strip form adapted to be folded between its ends to provided oppositely disposed substantially parallel side portions, heat radiating flanges along the upper and lower edges of each of said side portions and extending laterally outward therefrom, said flanges being corrugated transversely and having their outer edges disconnected.

9. A heating radiating member of the character described made of relatively thin sheet metal and having a body in flat strip form adapted to be folded between its ends to provide oppositely disposed substantially parallel side portions and heat radiating flanges along the upper and lower edges of said side portions and extending laterally outward therefrom, the ends of the strip being in a plane offset from the plane of the section on which the strip is folded so that said ends may be brought together on folding the strip.

10. In a motor vehicle radiator, the combination with aligned front'and rear tubes, of a heat radiating member being formed of relatively thin sheet metal and having a fiat strip-like body folded about both tubes with the ends of the strip secured together at one of the tubes, and laterally extending heat radiating flanges along the upper and lower edges of the strips on the opposite sides of both tubes and projecting outwardly therefrom, said strip having its body portion between the flanges in flatwise contact with the tube.

11. A motor vehicle radiator comprising water tubes, and heat radiating members therefor, said members being made from relatively thin sheet metal and having flat strip-like bodies bent about said tubes, and laterally extending heat radiating flanges along the upper and lower edges of the strips on opposite sides of the tubes and projecting outwardly therefrom, said strip having its body portion between the flanges in fiatwise contact with the tube.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

CHARLES F. SPERY. 

